The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-02

ING guests liitu Hcutu VI thc aONiuohr
and knew of the great troubles that
one after another had fallen on the
fiddler's family. General sympathy
was reused. The dancing the happi-
ness, and above all Iwan's lovely music,
opened their hearts. When the ball
ended. about two in the morning, the
boy was dismissed with not only the
promise of payment for his nights
work, but the pocketful of money of
which he had spoken to Marscha. Of
which the greater part was not copper.
but shining white silver.
Who so charming now as Ivan, strid-
ing blthely homeward on his three
mile walk, his violin slung lightly over
his shoulder, and his hands in his
pockets rafting his gains? He kept
whistling from time to time to give ex-
preston to his pleasure, rs he thought
of his father and Marscha and wee tod
ding Anna.
"Oh, if mother were only alive" he
thought, show pleased she would be!
Poor father need not want anything
now. There's enough here for that
clever little sister of mine to keep house
on for long time. She is thinking of
me now while she is sitting up waiting
for me. | am later than thought l
should be when / left home. This
wood will cut off II good quarter of a
m 10 if | cross it. ."
With boys thoughtlessness he left
the beaten track, and turned aside into
q pine wood near. The sudden dark
ness startled him at first, as the faint
light of the waning moon could not
penetrate through the thick branches
But confident that he could find his
way and regain the high-road again at
the other side of the wood his eager
ness to reach home prevented him
from turning back. He contented him.
self with picking his steps carefully.
Suddenly the ground seemed to give
away beneath him. and he was precipi-
tated into n deep pit. He was stunned
for moment, but the earth at the bot
tom was soft and no bones were brok-
en-. Picking himself up his first thought
was his fathers precious violin. If
that were broken, then indeed would
the measure of their misfortunes be
full, and his carelessness would have
done it. To his great joy it was unin-
jured. Then he began feeling about
the walls of the pit for II means OF es-
cape. Suddenly something met his
eyes that nearly froze his blood with
horror. Two glowing points like red
hot Goals glared upon him out of the
darkness around. Ivan comprehended
the matter now. He had fallen into
one of the pitfalls dug to entrap wild
animals, and was now hopelcssly i'm
prisoned with wolf The creature,
he felt was confounded and terrified
for the moment by the no SO of his fall
But he was convinced that it would
soon recognize the helplcssness to de-
fend himself of his comrade in msfor-
tune, and would make breakfast of
him in shorter order than it took to
think of it all.
Iwan's breath came thick and fast,
but he was not one of those who easily
resign hope. He called to mind the
old ballad of how valiant Danish
chief was taken in battle by his enemies
and thrust into cavern full of serpents
and other deadly rept les; how he had
been allowed! as last boon, to take
with him his harp of seven strings; land
how he had played upon it for a night
and day using his feet when his
fingers failed him. So long as he play
ed, not creature attempted to do him
hurt, so great is the power of music
over even the dumb brutes. At last his
enemies were moved and opened TO him
his prison doors.
"Why may not | take leaf out of
that old Danish book?" thought Ivan,
quickly unslingiug his fiddle and bow.
"a violin is as good as harp any day.
If | can manage to keep the brute off
until daylight somebody is sure to be
passing on the road or the owners of
the trap will come TO see # there is any
booty"
lie drew the bow across the strings
and commenced slow, melancholy
tune that would have brought tho
tears to his own eyes had not the sense
of desperate danger been the feeling
uppcrmost in his mind. The awful
beast gave long howl.
You like music?n thought IVAN
"All right, Master Wolf, you shall have
plenty of it, >"
His eyes were now getting accustom-
ed to the darkness, and he perceived
that his dangerous fellow-prisoner was
an enormous gray wolf whose gaunt
sides spoke of a hunger which would
afford him small hope of escape should
his music not succeed in exercising the
hoped-for charm over il. He played on
with the energy of dispair. Although
II was early spring, and the snow near
" all melted away, it was still bitterly
cold The poor boys fingers soon got